The fabrication and structuring of multilayer-thick film piezoelectric (PZT-lead
zirconate titanate) structures, using composite sol-gel techniques and wet
etching is described. The composite sol-gel technique involves producing a PZT
powder/sol composite slurry which when spun down, yields films a few micrometres
thick. Repeated layering and infiltration has been used to produce PZT films
between 10 and 40 μm thick. Due to the low firing temperature (<720°C), it has
also been possible to produce PZT films with embedded thin (ca. 100 nm thick)
metal electrodes. The PZT thick films have also been structured using a wet
etching technique. Examples of features and cavities with lateral dimensions in
the order of tens of micrometres are presented. The ability to fabricate and
structure thick functional films with embedded metal electrode structures offers
the possibility to create novel micro-device structures suitable for use in
micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS